An Icy Wind Blows
by Hybryd0
Summary: *Hiatus* AU. Bryan just wants to get his job done and get paid. Ray just wants to get to the Thunder Temple and away from the icy Merc. If either of them knew what fate had in store for them they would just stay home.
1. Prologue

AN: Alright, this is my first Beyblade story. It's an AU, because I haven't seen enough of the actual series to write a story based on the events that actually happen. I'm not totally satisfied with the title so if a good one comes to you please share. I don't have a beta reader for this fandom so forgive any mistakes I don't catch.

vvvv

_The night was cold, a chilly wind announcing the coming of a storm. The roving gray clouds hid the usually bright moon, though what could be seen of it was clearly an omen. Usually bright and pure white, the moon was instead an ominous red as if giving all warning. Later, all that had seen it said that the moon had been soaked with the blood of those who had died._

_One man stood watching it all with intense scrutiny. Around him the temple was mostly silent save for the four patrols. The dark night concealed much, but the wind told all. Whispering in his ear secrets and warnings. He knew that what could not be seen in the shadows of the forest was danger. Those seeking vengeance and justice had finally come. His heightened senses could smell the Air, Fire, and Earth magic on the wind and was not surprised. What did surprise him was the Ice magic, the cold chill of the wind._

"_Why do you betray us?" The man questioned softly. "We had great plans."_

" _High Master Ivan?" A new voice spoke hesitantly behind the tall man._

"_Yes Tyris?"_

"_Master, they have come. Should we not mount a defense?" Tyris asked, his youthful voice full of fear and anxiety._

"_There is no defense for us." Master Ivan replied. "By dawn all within this great temple shall be dead. None will survive."_

"_And you would just surrender us to them without a fight?" Tyris hissed, dark eyes flashing. "If I am to die I will go down fighting."_

"_Yet you will still go down."_

"_The winds will howl and the skies darken before they see the death of me." Tyris growled. "I will show them what true power is."_

_Ivan smiled, though it lacked true happiness. "I would expect nothing less of my prize pupil. Very well, wake the guard, sound the bells. We'll give these weak fools a fight they won't soon forget!"_

_Within moments the temple was full of activity. Warriors scrambled around gathering weapons and armor as the smell of elemental magic grew stronger. All knew that the Cause was lost and none of them would survive, but a battle was to be met head on. Dark would be the day that those of the Wind ran from a battle. They would stand and fight like warriors and die with at least a little of their honor left. Archers lined the walls with bows and arrows ready while others barricaded the main entrance. As the last of the warriors settled into position a lone figure stepped out of the forest._

"_I would speak to the High Master."_

_Ivan stepped forward to lean over the wall. "Ah, should have known you would lead the charge against us, Abram."_

"_You leave us no choice!" Abram replied, red cape billowing in the wind. "Your treachery has been revealed, you dastardly plan foiled. There will be no world domination for you."_

"_And I suppose you wish us to surrender?" Ivan sneered._

"_I do, but I know well enough that will not be the case." Abram said with a hint of sadness. "This is your one and only chance. Those of the Order of Wind are to surrender for treason against the great Gods themselves. Failure to do so will result in your complete annihilation."_

"_You would kill us all? What of the Talon? Only those of the Wind may use it."_

"_If the Talon is lost to us, then so be it." Abram replied._

"_And you will be lost to the shadow." _

"_You have chosen your path. We may all suffer for it one day, but we can only do what we must." Abram said. "Surrender!" _

"_Our fate is sealed and our answer evident." Ivan replied. "Come if you must, see what power is left in the Wind Temple."_

"_If that is your final answer Ivan, I fear you give us no choice."_

"_No. This gives you no choice."_

_Ivan raised a crossbow from where he had hidden it and fired before Abram could move. The bolt easily sliced through the fire warrior's chest plate and pierced his heart. As Abram fell the forest exploded with movement and the battle began. Ivan stepped away from the wall and moved swiftly inside. The sound of his boots echoed through the halls as he made his way swiftly but was greeted halfway by an elderly lady near hysterics, a baby of no more than a few months in her arms._

"_Do you see what your madness has come to? You have doomed us all, the children included!"_

"_I know what I have done you old witch! It was worth the risk." Ivan snarled._

"_Worth the children's lives? They will slaughter us all. None able to wield the Wind will be left alive."_

_Ivan shoved her away from himself. "The chance for world domination was worth everything! To have even the Gods bow at my feet!" He sobered, though the malice in his eyes was barely contained. "I would risk it again if but for the chance."_

"_Then may Nyin and Rouk have mercy on you when you stand before them. I fear I would not."_

_Ivan spun and the sound of the voice and was met with a sword through the heart. The elderly lady gasped and took several steps back at the sight of an Air Master standing before her. The man's eyes were sad, yet determined, as he looked behind her to the children gathering at a doorway mere feet away. His eyes then shifted back to meet the gaze of the old woman._

"_I cannot spare them." He said with a soft, yet firm voice. "They have already been tainted."_

"_I know."_

_He stepped closer to her, gently wiping away her tears. "However, I cannot kill a mere baby."_

"_You would spare him?" She asked tearfully. She dared not hope._

"_The baby is untainted, his spirit pure." The Air Master replied. "He will be needed in the future."_

"_Where would we go? All will smell the Wind magic on us."_

"_You I cannot and will not protect." The Air Master said truthfully. "You have stood by and watched your High Master's plotting and done nothing. Your silence could have led to complete and utter disaster for us all. You will suffer the same fate as all the others." He then gazed down at the baby, caught in the dazzling eyes of the innocent. "I will make sure no harm comes to the child."_

"_Thank you, Master Arrin."_

"_May the Gods grant you mercy." He said as he reached out and took the baby from her._

_With that he was gone. The screams of the dying echoed through the hall as the elderly lady went back to be with the rest of the children. She knew their fate was sealed, but her heart was warmed by the thought that at least one child would live. One child would live to one day redeem the name of the Order of Wind._


	2. Chapter 1

Pale amethyst eyes narrowed as the shadows shifted around him. Something, more than likely more than one, was following him. He moved quick and agile through the underbrush, but whatever was following him was keeping up easily. There was no doubt in his mind that it would come to a confrontation soon enough. He had been trying to shake them for almost an hour, but they were persistent and he knew why. It had something to do with the pouch hanging off his silver belt. Instinctively one hand flashed to make sure it was still where he had tied it and satisfied that it was he once more focused on getting away.

Something broke through the trees on his left and only his nimble reflexes kept him from being tackled. As he sidestepped the flying body his instincts had him pulling his sword as he spun to deflect his next attacker. That's when he got a good look and his suspicions were confirmed. It was the town guards from the town he had just evacuated quite quickly. He frowned and ducked as another guard pounced at his back. Stealing something didn't usually get the town guards chasing someone miles from the town. Then again, it wasn't every day that someone stole something of such importance either. The object in his pouch smelled faintly of Earth magic and was probably used by the townspeople to help with farming and other things.

"Thief, return the Natru Gama!" One of the guards ordered.

Thief. His eyes twitched at the insult. He was no mere thief. He was a mercenary, a man capable of much more than just thievery. It was an insult to his ability to be called a thief. He failed to acknowledge that the only difference between a thief and a merc was that the merc got paid for it.

"Take it." The merc sneered back.

One of the guards lunged forward. The merc whirled, bringing the sword in a sweeping motion that knocked the other's sword away. He caught the guard with a kick to the face and immediately dropped down to leg sweep another guard. As he got to his feet he brought the sword up with him and deflected another. Spinning in a circle he realized there were more guards than he had originally thought. More of a challenge than he had anticipated, but that just made it all the more fun.

"Twelve to one." He mused, watching as they formed a ring around him. "I don't like your odds."

"I recognize you." One of the guards spoke up, taking in the tall young man's features. "You're the one they call Falcon. There's a reward for your capture."

Falcon smirked. "Gonna try and collect? Men better than you have tried and failed."

"You're cocky for twelve to one."

Falcon continued to smirk, eyes twinkling at the idea of combat. He widened his stance and centered himself as the twelve men shifted around him. _Unfair odds. I almost feel sorry for them. _He then lifted his sword and pointed at the one that had called him cocky. It was a clear challenge and no man with any pride would have turned it down. With a snarl the guard lunged forward with his sword extended to impale the young challenger. Falcon smirked at the foolish, amateur move and easily swept the man's sword to the side, twirling around to bring his own sword through the man's heart.

That was the real start of the battle. The guards were enraged at the man's death and attacked like a pack of rabid animals. They didn't stand a chance. Falcon was a blur, twisting, turning, and twirling with such ease that none of the swords came even close to catching him. Within seconds of the beginning of the battle the end came with a metallic thump as the last guard fell.

"Too easy."

Something clicked in his mind. The familiar smell of burning embers was all the warning he needed. Falcon dove to the side and fire rained down on the spot where he had just been. Rolling to his feet the merc quickly spun to see a red robed figure drop from a tree. Falcon tensed at the new challenge. This man was obviously not a Fire Master, but anyone capable of wielding an element was a worthy, not to mention dangerous, opponent. The other regarded him with dark eyes that didn't even conceal his contempt.

"Give me the Nartu Gama or by Aranas I'll take it from you" The man snarled.

"Let's see you try." Falcon said with a smirk.

"You dare challenge the Fire Saint of Doria?" The man boomed.

Falcons snorted. "Fire Saint? Tell me, did your Master give you that title of honor or did you give it to yourself?"

"The honor was bestowed upon me by High Master Taren!" The Fire Saint barked. The dark eyes narrowed, a spark of fire lighting there. "You dare mock me?"

"Oh come off your high horse. Either shut up and make a move or go back to your precious Fire Temple."

"Very well. I'll burn you to a crisp for your efforts."

Falcon dove to the side again as fire scorched the ground. As he rolled he snatched up one of the fallen guard's sword and threw it at the Fire Saint. The Fire Saint brought his own sword up and deflected the attack before lunging at Falcon. Falcon got his sword up in his defense, but received a kick to the chest that sent him sprawling. He used the momentum to roll backwards and up to his feet and immediately had to fend off the persistent Fire Saint. The Fire Saint was an expert swordsman, but his skills fell just short of Falcon and it became apparent as the merc dominated the fight. But the tables turned swiftly and brutally when the Fire Saint blasted his opponent with a fireball right to the chest that sent the merc flying into a tree trunk.

"Now you will feel the full wrath of the Fire Saint."

Falcon looked up to see the Fire Saint gathering a large fireball in his cupped hands. He knew it was time to reveal his own secret. Just as the Fire Saint threw the fireball at him Falcon raised on hand and sent out a stream of ice. The ice instantly cooled the flames and turned it into one huge ice ball that Falcon flung back at the Fire Saint. The startled warrior didn't have a chance of dodging the attack and was stuck hard, getting pinned beneath the ice ball. Falcon pushed to his feet, putting a hand to his seriously singed chest.

"You're of the Order of Ice?" The Fire Saint was clearly surprised. "But I didn't smell snow."

"I have the unique ability to hide the smell of my magic." Falcon replied with a shrug. "Comes in handy against arrogant pricks such as yourself."

"How could you dishonor you Masters with such behavior? Have you no sense of duty to your Masters?" Fire Saint demanded.

Falcon's gaze hardened. "You're awful brave for someone at my mercy."

"Your mercy?" The Fire Saint repeated, obviously finding some humor in that. "I'm hardly at your mercy."

Flames erupted around the Fire Saint and the ice ball exploded into fragments. Falcon dodged another fireball and growled. He was getting tired of playing around. The Fire Saint was delaying him too long. He had a deadline to meet and he didn't need his reputation being tarnished by being late. It was time to put the arrogant Fire Saint in his place. Falcon didn't notice the temperature falling fast because the cold weather didn't bother him. Fire Saint noticed as his magic was being nullified by the sub-zero temperature and realized he had grossly underestimated his enemy. This man had a greater power, one that far surpassed his own. These were his final thoughts as his body froze solid.

"Maybe by the time you thaw you'll remember the lessons your Masters taught you about underestimating an enemy." Falcon said as released his hold on his magic and the temperature began to rise once more. He sheathed his sword and then looked around at the bodies around him. Shaking his head the merc set out again.

vvvv

"You came dangerously close to being late Bryan."

Bryan, known as Falcon to most, frowned and crossed his arms. "Point is I'm not late."

"Indeed."

"So you've got what you want so pay up." Bryan snapped. He glared defiantly at the dark figure that most would have cowered before. "I don't work for free Boris."

Boris smirked as he felt the temperature around them begin to drop. "Easy young Bryan. Do anything to me and you won't get paid." The man then reached into his coat and pulled out a pouch. He tossed it to Bryan and watched with cold eyes as the merc counted the coins. "Satisfied?"

"Very." Bryan replied with a smirk.

"Good, then I'll be on my way." Boris said and stepped back into the shadows.

Bryan cast him one disgusted look before he turned and left the alley, heading for the tavern across the street. Usually, he didn't like going into those sort of places. It was easy to get attention drawn to oneself in big taverns. But the town didn't have any small pubs and he needed a drink. Nowadays he always needed a drink after using his Ice Magic. It rattled him for some reason, but he couldn't figure out why. He had never been especially gifted and it had taken the Masters longer to get him attuned with the element where as his friend T---. He viciously cut his train of thought. He couldn't think about that. Apparently a good stiff drink was exactly what he needed.

Stepping into the tavern he wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of alcohol and smoke. Like all magic users his senses were highly tuned and he knew it wouldn't be long before the smells started to make him sick. He made his way to an empty table and ordered a stiff drink when the barmaid came by. He made a quick observation of the tavern and saw a few shady characters that he recognized having done business with them in some way or another. He gave the barmaid a quick smile and paid her before taking up the drink and gulping a good portion of it. Using magic really, really rattled him.

"Are you Falcon?"

Bryan snorted into his drink and slammed the mug down before glaring up at the speaker. The person was wearing a cloak that hid everything except for green bangs and a fanged mouth. It was a neko-jin then, he could figure that much out by what little he could see. That instantly brought questions to his mind. Neko-jins didn't usually leave their villages or at least they didn't wander too far. Even when they did they usually stuck to safer places. One could easily get snatched from a tavern by neko-hunters and no one would look twice.

"What if I am?" Bryan snapped, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"I need you to come with me. We have a job for you." The neko-jin said.

Bryan snorted. "By we I'm guessing you mean your village? Listen kid, your village couldn't afford my price."

"You don't know if you don't find out."

"I'm one of the most sought after mercs in the country. My services come at a high price."

The neko-jin leaned forward so that Bryan caught sight of violet eyes narrowed with anger. "And you think just because we're a neko-jin village that we don't have anything to offer you worth your time? I heard you were rough around the edges, but I didn't know you were so disrespectful. You don't even deserve the job with that kind of behavior. I'll just find another merc that deserves the payment and has a better attitude."

Bryan shrugged and watched the neko-jin saunter off. He was mildly insulted that the Elders of the village had sent a child to summon him. A neko-jin warrior should have been sent at least that would have been worth his time. He went back to his drink and got in a few more gulps before he set the mug back down and groaned. The neko-jin had aroused his curiosity. It was almost unheard of for the neko-jins to need the services of a merc and he was sure they wouldn't have sent for him if they hadn't had something worthwhile to offer him.

With an annoyed sigh he stood up and followed in the neko-jin's footsteps. As soon as he stepped out of the tavern his instincts screamed a warning. He glanced around quickly and frowned at the apparently empty street. He saw no danger and much to his annoyance no green haired neko-jin either. But that couldn't be right. He knew from his studies that neko-jins were a mostly fast, graceful, and agile race among other things, but no one could disappear that quickly. He knew he shouldn't care or be bothered by the fact that something could have happened to the neko-jin. No one cared about him, so why should he return the favor? But something deep down inside told him he'd regret not helping the green haired kid.

"Sham, grab the kid's feet." A voice barked out of the alley beside the tavern.

Bryan stalked to the edge of the building and glanced around. Sure enough four big brutes were trying to wrestle the green haired boy into a cage. Bryan had always been against the neko-jin trade and he especially didn't approve of youngsters being captured and forced into the unsavory world the rest of the adults were thrust into. He didn't want to care, and had it been an adult he probably would have walked away, but it was just a kid probably not very far into his teenage years.

"Has your catch been so bad lately that you have to resort to kidnapping children?" Bryan asked in a light, almost flippant way.

All four men spun quickly to face the stranger. Three of the men simply glared at him, but the fourth looked shell-shocked. Bryan smirked and pushed away from the wall and moved further into the alley. One of the men grabbed the struggling neko-jin had held him as the other two stepped forward. The fourth man was still staring as if a ghost stood before him.

"You're Falcon." The man finally said.

Bryan's smirk grew. "I see it's time for a change of appearance when lowly street thugs recognize me."

"Street thugs! We're Neko-hunters!"

"Like I said, street thugs."

One of the men snarled. "You're a neko lover, ain't you?"

_Ain't you? And this guy wants to say he's not a street thug._ Bryan thought to himself as he told the men that he wasn't a neko lover and didn't go into detail. He was enjoying the confusion that was settling over the men. They couldn't figure out if he was toying with them, planning on attacking them, or just about to walk away. Bryan loved every minute of it, but the young boy in their grasp looked about to have a heart attack at a young age. He needed to put a stop to it before the kid was permanently scarred by the experience. _Should I taunt them some? Give them a choice to hand the kid over to me? Or just go in for the kill?_

"What'd'ya want?" The tallest thug demanded.

"If you need me to answer that then you're as stupid as you are ugly." Bryan sneered.

He gave them a moment longer to figure it out, but the four men just shared a confused look. _Pathetic. _Bryan thought about pulling his sword, but decided against it. The day he couldn't take a pack of street thugs without sword was the day he needed to get out of the business. With that set in mind he strode forward, keeping his eyes on them the whole time. He had no doubt that the morons would make the first move and of course that would be their downfall.

"What game you playin' man?" The shortest neko-hunter demanded.

Bryan didn't reply and as he got closer the men finally started to piece it together. The one brute that had recognized him backed away and was given the neko-jin to hold while the other three moved to block Bryan's path. Predictably the biggest thug made the first move, a pathetic excuse for a punch to the face. Bryan didn't even budge, simply held up his hand and caught the fist. He then squeezed with only half his strength and felt several bones shift and pop. He yanked the man forward only to deliver a powerful kick to the chest and released the hand so that the man could go flying backwards. The other two rushed him at the same time, but again Bryan didn't move. He grabbed both punches thrown at him and then flipped them both to the ground and gave them both chops to the neck to make sure they stayed down. He then gave the last man a cold look that promised lots of pain if he didn't give up without a fight. Having already recognized him and heard the rumors about the fierce Falcon, the last man shoved the neko-jin toward Bryan and scrambled away.

Bryan caught the boy as he stumbled and help him catch his balance before letting him go. The two observed each other for a few minutes. Bryan realized quickly that even though the boy was young he was more intelligent than a person would have given him credit for at first glance. There was an agile quickness about him too and Bryan found himself surprised the hunters had managed to grab the boy. They had to have grabbed him from behind or given him no chance to defend himself, because the green haired youth didn't look easy to capture.

"Thamenz." The boy said, violet eyes wide and still slightly scared from the experience.

Bryan was caught slightly off guard. "You speak the old tongue?"

"Many of the village do."

"Interesting." Bryan mused, giving the boy one more look over. Those big violet eyes were begging him for something and he knew what it was. It was then he remembered something he had learned about the neko-jin culture that boys coming of age would be given tasks to complete by the Elders in order to prove themselves. That solved the questions of why such a young neko-jin had been sent to find him. He sighed and turned to walk away. "What's your name kid?"

"Kevin." The boy replied, moving to follow the merc. "Are you going to come with me now?"

"Well, you need to go back to your village, because you're obviously not old enough to be in the towns yet. I don't even think you could make it back safely on your own." Bryan said. He knew he sounded harsh, but that was just his way. "Therefore, I'll escort you to make sure you make it and since I'm going to be there I might as well listen to what your Elders have to say."

For a moment Kevin had started to look insulted and had begun to gather something worthy of spitting in reply when the true meaning behind Bryan's words struck him. Bryan wasn't looking or he would have seen excitement replace the fury on the boy's face. He sighed and fiddled with the hilt of his sword. _Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?_


	3. Chapter 2

AN: Okay, less reviews than I had hoped for, but I am new to the fandom. In any case, a good author isn't in it for the reviews anyway.

Andhesaidno-Hope you can be bothered to sign in this time. :p Thank you for the review.

Shadow Vampires-Not soon, but at least it's updated, right? Thanks for reviewing.

Mr. X-I'm not sure which meaning of gay you meant, but the answer is probably in my profile if you read it. As for Mariah, I'm not a big fan, so don't expect to see her included. Nothing against her, but there's not really a female anime character that I actually like. Don't worry, Bryan's past is a huge part of the story, so it'll be addressed.

vvvv

The village was a little bigger than Bryan had anticipated. It was like a small town that no one visited and no one left. It seemed to be mostly homes, but there was also a thriving market as well as a few businesses. There was everything a small, traditional little village would need. There were probably over a hundred families living within the confines of the intimidating, but oh so necessary wall. It was a place where everyone knew everyone else and secrets were hard to keep. If it had been daytime it probably would have been busy. It reminded him a lot of the town the Ice Temple was located in and he felt a pang of regret deep inside before pushing it away. He needed to focus on the present and leave the past where it belonged.

Bryan glanced over his shoulder one more time. He had been forced to leave his horse at the gate. The neko-jins didn't believe in using horses for mounts or pack animals and therefore had no stable for him to leave her in. Furthermore, neko-hunters often rode horses when raiding villages and most neko-jins had come to fear the sight of horses. He didn't care too much though. His horse was special and she wasn't going to wander or cause problems. He was confident she would be fine and turned his attention to the matter at hand.

Kevin and two town guards were leading Bryan to the heart of the village where he could see a small, but proud temple waiting. He knew that many such places existed around the country. Some were dedicated to a certain god while others worshiped them all equally. As they neared he could see a statue of Naraki the Thunder God in all his glory crossing swords with his twin brother Borakas the God of Lightning. The statues were remarkably life-like and Bryan almost felt the need to kneel as if they were real, but still followed the three into the temple. Inside the temple was simple, nothing like the elaborate temples he was used to visiting, but comforting just the same. Everyone knew that wherever there was a temple the gods were there as well, always watching and protecting those that worshiped them.

The town guards stopped just inside the temple and two bigger Temple Guards stepped up. Kevin passed them and pushed open one of the big wooden doors and continued inside. Bryan moved to follow when one of the big neko-jins grabbed his arm. Bryan growled and yanked his arm back and immediately the two guards had their swords pulled and ready.

"No weapons allowed inside." One of the guards growled.

Bryan rolled his eyes and unclipped his belt. He handed it to one of the guards and turned to enter the room when the second guard growled. Frowning, Bryan paused and looked up into angry yellow-green eyes. The second guard was holding out his hand expectantly. Raising an eyebrow Bryan stood unmoving.

"You think we believe that's your only weapon?"

Again Bryan rolled his eyes. He should have known they would have a danger sense. They probably wouldn't let him enter until they sensed he was no longer a threat to their Elders. As if he had anything to gain by killing them except more enemies and he didn't need that. Normally he wouldn't go anywhere without at least a dagger on him, but they seemed intent on not leaving him that luxury. He thought about turning around and leaving, but his curiosity got the better of him. He had to know what could be so important for the Elders to send for a merc. With a soft growl to express his annoyance he began to pull his weapons from all the places he had hidden them. By the time he was done both guards had their hands full and were looking at each other in complete shock. Bryan gave them a smirk before turning and entering the room.

Bryan found himself slightly let down by all the build up. There was nothing much to the room except for a few statues of the gods. The Elders were sitting along the far wall watching him intently. Bryan met each Elder's with a firm look of his own, while trying not to look disrespectful. The last thing he needed was to be imprisoned by a bunch of cat-people because he looked at their Elders the wrong way.

"You are the one they call Falcon?" One of the Elders finally spoke.

Bryan looked at him. "I am."

The Elders exchanged looks. Before the same man spoke again. "You are younger than I would have imagined."

"Is that going to be a problem?" Bryan asked, clearly annoyed.

"Are you really as good as they say you are?" One of the other Elders asked, not even acknowledging Bryan's question.

Bryan growled. If they were trying to test his patience it was working. That was probably why the guards took his weapons.

"I didn't escort that green haired imp just to be interrogated." Bryan snapped. He was past caring about respect and making a good impression. "If you don't have something worthy of my time I'm leaving."

"We have a job for you, Falcon." Bryan fixed the speaker with a piercing stare. "We wish for you to escort someone to the Thunder Temple."

"That's across the country." Bryan said flatly.

"Indeed."

Pale eyes narrowed. "It'll cost you, a lot. My services don't come cheap."

"We are well aware of that. However, you are one of the best mercenaries in the country and the price worth it."

Bryan was silent for a long time. He didn't notice as two more people entered the room, both of them kneeling someplace behind him. His mind was focused inwardly as he thought about the offer. It had been a long time since anyone wanted to hire him as a bodyguard. The last time hadn't turned out very well for the other person, mainly because the other people had been able to pay more. Being a bodyguard was constricting and he was forced to stay in the company of whoever he was supposed to be protecting.

"No." Bryan finally said. "I'm not a bodyguard."

"Ray does not need a bodyguard--."

"Good because he's not getting one." Bryan interrupted, either oblivious or ignoring the disapproving looks he got for it.

"He simply needs someone who knows the country to guide him there."

Bryan snorted. "No. I'm not a guide, bodyguard, or babysitter. If he doesn't know the country this will be a good chance for him to learn it."

"The rest of the country is very different from what Ray is used to. He is not ready to venture on his own."

"Then he should wait until he is ready. You're wasting my time."

There was a murmur from the Elders at the disrespectful attitude. One of the kneeling neko-jins got to his feet, fists clenched as he snarled, gaining Bryan's attention. "How dare you disrespect my grandfather like that? Show some respect for the Elders."

"They're not my elders." Bryan replied coldly.

"You are a guest in our village and would do well to remember that." The young man snarled getting more and more worked up.

"Enough!" The young man's grandfather boomed. He then fixed the mercenary with a piercing look. "What will it take you to convince you?"

Bryan snorted, but tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. There wasn't much that could convince him to be someone's bodyguard. The pay would have to be good, but there was more than that. If something happened that was entirely not his fault then he wouldn't get paid. The risk was not worth it unless…

"I want half up front." Bryan announced.

"Outrageous!" The outspoken young man exclaimed.

"Lee! You will stay quiet or remove yourself from the room!"

Bryan smirked as the grandfather gave it to his grandson. "Those are my terms."

"Then we accept." One of the other Elders said.

Bryan's smirk faded. He didn't think the Elders would agree to those terms. No one would have. They stood to lose even if the mission failed. He was beginning to suspect that there was more going on than a simple escort mission. Something bigger was hiding just beyond his reach and he had a feeling it wasn't going to be a good thing either. Still, the idea of being paid half up front for an escort job was appealing.

"Is there a problem?" Lee's grandfather questioned.

"No."

"Good, then you will be our guest here tonight and you will leave in the morning."

"What about my pay?" Bryan asked.

"In the morning."

Bryan opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it. He nodded his head ever so slightly in a sign of acceptance. The two guards were called inside and told to escort Bryan to one of the guest rooms. Neither guard looked pleased that the high security risk was going to be staying so close to the Elders, but dared not argue. As Bryan followed the two neko-jins out of the room he caught sight of the two young men that had entered during the negotiation. He had already looked at the black haired, outspoken neko-jin, but the other one had stayed silent and had not drawn attention to himself. Calm golden eyes watched him from behind a frame of raven colored bangs. His long hair was wrapped in an attempt to control it, but Bryan could still tell it must have been wild when loose. Bryan gave him nothing more than a fleeting glance, but what he had seen was nothing short of beautiful.

Once out of the room the guards led him through a dizzying maze of halls and corridors. Bryan suspected they were trying to get him lost, but he had been taught better than that. His memory was sharp and attention to detail great enough that he could tell the difference between halls and remember each turn they took. It would take more than that to get him lost, but he had to give them props for trying. At length they finally stopped in front of an open doorway and motioned inside.

"You can stay here."

"What about my weapons?" Bryan asked, eyeing the pile in the guard's arms.

Twin looks of distrust greeted him in answer. "You'll get your weapons back when you leave."

"One dagger."

"No."

Bryan's eyes narrowed slightly and the temperature in the hall dipped sharply. "A knife at least."

"No." The taller of the two guards snapped. "You mercs are known for your resourcefulness. So, be resourceful."

With that the two stalked off. Bryan watched them go with a furious look. It wasn't fair that he should be left unarmed. He felt naked without at least one weapon. In his world, sleeping was a state to be taken advantage of and more than once someone had attempted to end his life while he slept. Then again, none of the neko-jins posed a threat. The Elders would surely severely punish someone if they threatened his life after they went through so much trouble to talk him into the mission. At the same time, he knew many mercs who could sneak into the neko-jin village if they really wanted to get at him. That was the reason why he wanted at least a knife.

With a frustrated growl he entered the guest room. There was nothing special to it. A bed, a dresser, a table with one chair, and a window outside were all that the room had. That was fine with Bryan, he didn't need anything special. He unlatched the chain of his cloak and folded it carefully before putting it on the table. The rest of his clothes were dumped on the floor without a thought. He would have liked to have cleaned up before bed, two fights in one night made him feel dirty, but the guards hadn't pointed out a bathing room. Plus, he didn't feel inclined to walk around in a place where the guards were against him. Anything could happen. It was better not to give them the opportunity to do anything.

He moved to sit on his bed with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees. It may have been years since he was at the Ice Temple, but he still remembered his teachings. It gave him great peace to pray to his god, Kalen. He always felt a silent presence in reply to his words of respect and knew that Kalen was watching out for him. As a measure of respect he also said a prayer to Naraki and Borakas whose minor temple he was staying in. With his nightly ritual done he settled down to rest, hoping that the next day went as smoothly as possible.

vvvv

"I don't need an escort."

"You are not familiar with how this world works Ray."

"And it is not your choice to make."

Bryan frowned as he heard the words as he followed the guards back into the room from the previous night. All the Elders were there as well as the other two young men. It was the quiet neko-jin, Ray that was standing before the Elders arguing. That earned him a little respect from Bryan, for he knew it took a great deal of courage for the neko-jin to speak against the Elders. However, he could tell the argument was already lost and apparently the young man realized it too as he stayed silent after the reprimanding tone.

Bryan stayed as respectful as he could while going through the tedious task of answering the Elders polite questions. It was grating on his nerves, but soon enough it was over. Then they came to the more comfortable conversation of payment. They were going to pay him in Morning Star gems. The silvery-blue gems were rare and would bring a good price in trade-in value. It almost made his mouth water thinking about how many gold pieces he could get. Just the amount they were giving him up front would give him all the gold pieces he needed to live comfortably and never take another high risk job again. Not that he would ever do that.

"Are you satisfied Falcon?" The leader of the Elders asked.

"I am." Bryan replied. What wasn't there to be satisfied about? He was getting paid a fortune just to escort some sheltered neko-jin brat across country. "If my charge is ready I would request permission to leave immediately."

"I'm ready." Bryan heard the quiet voice behind him.

"Then we wish the both of you the best of luck."

That was all Bryan needed. He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. He was stopped by the two guards from the previous night and given back his weapons. He tucked them into their hiding places as he was handed each weapon. Behind him his charge was watching with wide eyes, unable to believe the small armory his escort was carrying. Bryan could feel the tension in the air and smirked slightly. It was likely none of the neko-jins had ever actually had contact with a merc and for him to be the first was nothing short of amusing. He was considered a roughneck merc, someone armed to the teeth and not to be messed with. Roughnecks worked alone whereas most other mercs had at least one partner. He had few allies and even fewer friends and that was the way he preferred it.

"Is all of that necessary?" Bryan heard his charge ask.

Bryan didn't even bother to look at him as he tucked the last dagger into the inside of his silvery-purple cloak. "Everything has a purpose."

Without another word Bryan headed out of the temple, silently paying his respects to the gods of Thunder and Lightning for watching over him for the night. He felt more than heard Ray walking behind him. The Town Guards replaced the Temple Guards as he was escorted back to the gate. Bryan immediately went to his horse. The chestnut colored mare was standing calmly where she had been tied. Though no emotion could truly be shown, her soft hazel eyes seemed to brighten at the sight of her master. Bryan stroked her muzzle as he untied her. She nudged him softly and nickered, obviously pleased to be reunited with her rider. He was equally as pleased, though it hardly showed on his face. She was one creature in the entire world that he trusted with all his heart and soul.

He began checking his saddlebag to make sure everything was where he had left it. His bedroll was still attached to one side and all equipment was still where he'd left it. Glancing quickly at Ray he saw the neko-jin only had a small backpack. Bryan sighed. They would have to stop in a town and get supplies for the neko-jin, possibly another horse as well.

"How am I supposed to keep up with you on a horse?"

Bryan turned to his charge. "You'll ride with me until we can get you a horse."

"I'm not riding that beast." Ray replied vehemently.

The horse stamped her hooves and looked not a bit happy to have been called a beast. Bryan shot his charge an icy glare that forced the golden eyed neko-jin to back up a step. _Good. At least I know I can intimidate him._ He continued to glare at the neko-jin for a few more seconds before he turned back and swung himself up into the saddle. He glanced down at Ray, who had his arms crossed and a defiant look on his face. _This is going to be a long journey._

"I'm not riding that--."

"Call her a beast again and you'll regret it." Bryan said in a calm, cold voice. His face was carefully kept emotionless, but looking at him Ray could see a glint of anger in the pale amethyst eyes. "We'll make better time on horseback. The Thunder Temple is a long ways away."

"Then I will walk there on my own." Ray replied defiantly.

Bryan growled softly, the sound sending a chill down Ray's spine. The merc was done playing around. With a swift snap of the reigns the horse lunged forward. Bryan snatched Ray by his cloak and swung him onto the back of the horse. All Ray could do was grab onto Bryan as the horse thundered out of the village. Bryan could feel his charge quivering, but ignored it. _Something tells me this is just going to get worse and worse._

vvvv

It was only a few short hours before they made it to the small town of Corias. They stopped there for supplies for Ray. The neko-jin didn't need too much. Bryan bought a bedroll and a few minor things. Ray out and out refused to let Bryan buy a horse for him and also refused to do it for himself. In fact, he insisted he wouldn't be riding a horse for the rest of the trip. That ended with the same results as before. Ray was quickly getting tired of Bryan's icy attitude while Bryan was getting tired of the constant defiance. The journey was getting off to a rocky start.

vvvv

It was dusk before they stopped. Bryan was a little annoyed to find that his companion had fallen asleep against his back. He swore if there was any drool on his cloak he'd kill the brat and be done with the whole escort stint. Getting out of the saddle with the sleeping neko-jin leaning against him wasn't easy. He had to use one hand to keep Ray from falling forward while carefully sliding to the ground. He then carefully pulled Ray out of the saddle and leaned him up against a tree. He then laid out both their bedrolls before he put the younger boy in bed and tucked him in. Ray murmured softly and shifted, but didn't wake up.

Bryan froze in his position, leaning down over the teen. There was something different about Ray, something that he couldn't quite touch on. He could smell Thunder magic easily enough and that was no surprise after seeing the statues in front of the temple. But Bryan had to wonder why someone touched with the magic of Thunder was not already at the Thunder Temple training. While not everyone blessed with elemental magic made it to a temple, Ray's people seemed like the kind that should have sent Ray to the main Thunder Temple a long time ago.

Suddenly Bryan realized he had been staring at Ray a little too long and quickly jerked back. _What the tek was that? _He wondered as he moved to make a fire. He passed it off as his curiosity about neko-jins. As the fire got going he pulled his sword and began to clean it, thinking about the journey ahead of them. It wasn't often that he traveled across country. He tried to stay in the southwest as much as possible where he was far away from the Ice Temple and further away from memories of the past.

_You can't run forever. _A little voice in the back of his mind told him. _What are you running from?_

_Everything._

_Then you have a long ways to run and when you do stop 'everything' will still be right there waiting for you._


	4. Chapter 3

Ray yawned and stretched as he returned to the waking world. Instantly he was aware of the fact that he was not in his room and definitely not in a bed. He was in a bedroll and sleeping on the hard, unforgiving ground. For a moment he panicked as the wondered what had happened, but as the last bit of sleep fell he remembered. He had finally been given the go ahead to go to the Thunder Temple, but the Elders had insisted on an escort. They had chosen the famous Falcon, a cold-blooded merc for the important task. He thought that was naïve of them to believe that the merc would continue to escort him if he found out why Ray was going to the Thunder Temple.

No, any merc would stab him in the back for half a chance at the precious item he was carrying. He wasn't as naïve as the Elders thought he was. He knew the kind of cruelty and malice the world was capable of dealing out. He was under no false impressions that he was safe with the merc, not when Falcon already had half the reward. He would be safer on his own where prying eyes couldn't find anything.

Sitting up, Ray looked around and was surprised to see Falcon was nowhere around. Adrenaline shot through his system. This was the chance he needed to make a getaway. He was capable of covering his tracks and given a few hours Falcon would never be able to find him. He quickly got up and rolled the bedroll before attaching it to the saddlebags once more. He was skittish around the horse, but his need to get away quickly outweighed his fear. Thinking quickly he grabbed some of the food from the saddlebags and one of the pots. He put the things in his pack and quickly slung it across his back before sprinting away from the camp.

vvvv

Bryan hissed angrily when he returned to the camp to find Ray missing. He had gone to pick some of the berries he had spotted the previous night. He thought that along with bread rolls it would make for a quick, but filling breakfast. Bryan had definitely not expected Ray to awaken and the last thing he expected was to find him gone. Now he was going to have to waste precious time hunting down the brat before they could get back on schedule. He packed the berries away for a later meal and snatched a bread roll, noting with fury that the neko-jin had stolen some of the food.

He munched on the bread as he made note of Ray's tracks. They were at least thirty minutes old and that didn't give him much of a head start. Bryan made a mental bet with himself that he could catch the escapee in under fifteen minutes.

"Okay, Star, follow at a distance." Bryan told the horse. He knew that she would understand. Like him, she had her own secrets.

With that Bryan turned and followed Ray's tracks. Instantly he could tell it was going to be a little bit more difficult than he had originally thought. Ray was talented at hiding his tracks, but Bryan had been trained by the best. He had been sidetracked a few times, but he was confident he was on the right trail. Ray couldn't hide everything. Then suddenly the tracks stopped. Bryan paused and checked the area, but could find no indication of which direction Ray had gone in. That could mean only one thing. Bryan glanced up at the canopy above and groaned. The neko-jin was traveling through the trees and that gave him no way of tracking his charge.

"Clever cat." Bryan muttered. "I'll make you sorry for this."

He had only taken a few steps when it felt like a claw grabbed his heart a squeezed. He was chilled to the core though it was much different than Ice Magic. The permeating smell of rotting meat could only mean one thing. Shadow Magic. Shadow Magic meant danger for him and for the wayward Ray. He needed to find the neko-jin quickly before anything happened to him.

vvvv

Ray wrinkled his nose as he caught the smell of something rotten. It smelled like something had died several days ago and been left in the open to rot. He glanced around but wasn't able to see what the smell was coming from. With a shrug he dismissed it and bent down to get a drink from the river before him. The water was cool and clean and made him feel better. As he sat back up he caught sight of his reflection and gasped. His quick neko-jin reflexes allowed him to throw himself forward into the river to avoid the attack that seemed to come out of nowhere. He spun quickly and stared with wide eyes at the shadowy figure before him.

It was like nothing he had ever seen before. It looked like a shadow that had come to life and become solid. The black was so deep and cold that it chilled him to the bone. The smell of rotting meat was definitely coming from it. A splash behind him made Ray spin and he found another of the shadow beings behind him. Upon turning back to the first one he found that several others had joined it.

"Uh oh."

His words seemed to spur the things to life and the shadow beings attacked. The water slowed him down and he couldn't quite dodge as quickly as he could have on the ground. The one behind him tackled him as he tried to dodge the one in front and Ray found himself being held under water. He struggled, kicking and scratching, but the beings held him down easily.

_Stupid! Stupid zam-kus running away! How could I be so stupid! _Ray screamed at himself.

Ray felt his lungs burning and his vision began to go gray. As panic set in he let out the air he had been holding in and took a deep breath. He choked on the water and the fit it brought on only served to make him breathe more water. He struggled to get to the surface, but the cold unrelenting hands on his body held him down.

Suddenly Ray could feel something happening. Two of the hands on his body were ripped away and then the other two followed. He was dimly aware of being pulled to the surface and laid out on the ground. It was only when a fist struck his stomach and he began to cough up an alarming amount of water that he came back to reality. He weakly looked toward his savior and felt his stomach clench when he saw a furious pair of pale amethyst eyes glaring at him.

"You stupid brat!" Bryan hissed, pulling Ray to his feet. "If you ever run away from me again I'll kill you myself!"

Bryan dragged Ray along behind him as he stormed in the direction he knew his horse was waiting. He was absolutely furious. Not just because Ray had runway. Not just because the stupid cat had almost got himself drowned. He was furious because he didn't understand the emotion he felt when he saw Ray being held under the water by those shadow creatures. He wasn't even sure the last time he had felt so angry. He generally kept tight control of his emotions, but this rage was beyond his control. He felt like killing somebody and those shadow creatures didn't count.

"What were those things?" Ray asked, not bothering to try and pull himself free of Bryan's grasp. He didn't want to attract anymore of Bryan's wrath.

"Darklings. Shadow creatures summoned by the Shadow Masters." Bryan replied.

"Shadow Masters? Impossible they were destroyed hundreds of years ago." Ray argued.

Bryan snorted. "Defeated maybe, but destroyed most definitely not."

"What did they want with me?" Ray asked.

Bryan came to a sudden stop and turned to glare at Ray. "That's a question I think you can answer for me. Why is it so important you get to the Thunder Temple? You have something those Darklings wanted and I want to know what."

"I haven't got a clue." Ray replied, though Bryan could tell he was lying.

Bryan stepped forward and snatched Ray by the front of his shirt. He dragged the neko-jin toward him and lifted him off his feet slightly. Ray gasped and his eyes widened as he was pulled so that he was practically eye-to-eye with the vicious merc.

"If I'm going to die I want to know what I'm dying for! Now tell me the truth!" Bryan demanded. When Ray was silent Bryan shook the neko-jin a little more harshly than he meant to. Something popped out of the top of Ray's shirt.

Bryan dropped the neko-jin and stared at the pendant that had been revealed. It was the shape of an eye with silver and gold inlayed on the outer part. Inside a pure green gem of the highest quality stared back a Bryan. The merc was stunned as he stared at one of the most sought after objects in the country.

"The Eye of Drigger." Bryan breathed, reaching out to touch it without thought.

Ray snarled and smacked his hand away. The neko-jin quickly hid the necklace again and glared defiantly at the merc. Bryan blinked a few times to bring himself out of his stupor. His eyes narrowed once more and he took a step back to sit on a fallen tree trunk behind him. Ray also moved a little further away, but didn't try to run. It was too late for that.

"So, that's what this whole trip is about? The Eye of Drigger?" Bryan asked, though the answer was pretty clear.

"I have to get it to the Thunder Temple." Ray replied cautiously. He could sense a shift in his escort's mood. He wasn't sure it was good.

"That Eye is worth a lot." Bryan stated.

Ray was smart enough to get what that implied. The Eye was worth a lot-a lot more than him and his quest. The trade in amount Bryan could get for the Eye of Drigger made his payment from the Elders laughable.

"Good thing for you I have a reputation to uphold. I finish my jobs." Bryan said and he could see Ray visibly relax. "That being said, I don't appreciate anyone making my job difficult."

"Maybe if I didn't feel like you might turn around and slit my throat while I was sleeping I wouldn't feel like I had to get away." Ray snapped. "I feel like it's one step away from a kidnapping."

The hardness in Bryan's eyes softened just a little bit as a smirk crossed his face. "If I was going to slit your throat it wouldn't be while you were sleeping. I would look you right in the eyes while I did it."

"Oh that's comforting." Ray grumbled as Bryan turned and started walking again.

"Just keep this in mind. Next time you run, I won't be so forgiving."

Bryan continued to walk. He had no doubt the neko-jin would follow him after that little warning. He hoped so, because his mind was on completely different thoughts. He had been hired several years ago to find the Eye of Drigger. The payment was substantial. It was ten times what the Elders of Ray's village were paying him for this job. In essence he was being forced to choose between jobs. Well he had chosen already. He chose to go ahead and escort Ray to the Thunder Temple. But why? The neko-jin annoyed him beyond words and the pay was much better for the other job. Why then did he choose to stick with this job?

"_**When forced to choose between jobs choose the one that feels right."**_

The voice of Bryan's mentor echoed in his mind. He remembered that lesson very well. But why did staying with Ray feel right? The neko-jin got on his nerves. He tried to run away. He continually insulted his horse and his chosen profession. But there was something...deeper about the young man that he couldn't ignore. It was frustrating and confusing, but in some way not unpleasant.

But a new element had been introduced. The Shadow Masters were after the Eye of Drigger too. They had been laying low ever since their defeat. Any moves they made were discrete and only those in tune with the darker aspects of the country knew that they were still around. Bryan dealt with the darker aspect of the country every day of his life and knew that the Shadow Masters would do anything to get what they wanted. If they wanted the Eye of Drigger it was likely they would pull out all the stops to get it. Bryan wasn't afraid, but he knew things were definitely not going to get any easier.

_This cat is going to be the death of me._

OOOO

Thank you to Shadow Vampiress, Butterfly Ishida, Lady Snowblossom, and she-devil-16 for your reviews. Sorry this one is short, the next one should be a little longer.


	5. Chapter 4

The forest was quiet...too quiet...and it had Bryan on edge. He should have heard the creatures of the night roaming around, but he heard nothing. There were no wolf cries or cricket chirps. There was nothing but an unending silence and that screamed danger. Bryan sat beside the fire sharpening one of his knives as Ray slept soundly on the other side of the fire. The neko-jin must have had no instincts at all to sleep so soundly when something was so obviously wrong. Then again, Bryan had years of training from the best merc the country had ever seen and that went a long way to keep him on his toes. But most of all he sensed that what was out there was not so unfamiliar.

Bryan knew he was being observed and was sharpening his knife to give an impression of obliviousness. In reality he was completely aware and in tune with his surroundings. The knife was out to give him a quick weapon should someone attack. His sword was close by and could be pulled quickly, but he was a skilled fighter and didn't necessarily need a weapon to kill. He was hoping it wouldn't come to that, but if needed he wouldn't hesitate.

Then something moved in the corner of his vision. Bryan stilled his movement, but kept the façade of being completely relaxed. He slid his knife into its sheath and pulled one of his longer daggers to clean. It wasn't dirty, in fact it gave the impression that it had never been used. But that was a false impression as it was his favorite dagger and had seen him out of a few sticky situations. It was the dagger that his mentor, Jata, had given to him when he turned thirteen. It had been more like a short sword then and some might have viewed it as a gift one shouldn't give a kid, but Bryan had always had an affinity for sharp things and as an apprentice to a merc he had needed a weapon.

The dagger was simple. The blade was six inches long and had a narrow taper and full tang making it very strong and durable. The handle was made to fit snuggly in the hand and provided excellent grip. It had no jewels or decorations, yet to Bryan it was beautiful.

There was movement again and on instinct Bryan leapt to his feet while simultaneously swinging the dagger in a wide arc. Nothing was there. Still, Bryan sensed there was something out there. He knew his instincts weren't wrong and his temper flared. Someone was messing with him and he didn't like it. Then a gentle wind brought a scent to him that made his hair stand on end. It was an ice-wielder who had been tainted by shadow. It was someone who was probably after the Eye of Drigger. But how did they know that Ray was carrying it? Someone had to have tipped off the Shadow Masters.

He sensed movement behind him and spun quickly with the dagger outstretched. This time there was a clang of metal on metal and Bryan got a brief look at his attacker. The person was clothed in all black including a head piece that kept the identity of the person unknown. Sharp, icy blue eyes were all that Bryan could see and he thought there was something vaguely familiar about them. There was no time to think about it though as he focused on the fight. His attacker was swift and well trained, but the fighting style was one he knew well and he matched the warrior move for move.

A blast of ice to the face caught Bryan off guard and as he threw his hands up to clear it away he was kicked solidly in the chest. The blow knocked him onto his back, but he rolled instantly and heard a blade dig into the dirt. He kicked out at the space where his attacker was and felt a small thrill of satisfaction as his steel-toed boot connected. Bryan flipped to his feet and dove for his sword, which he pulled from its sheath with record speed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his opponent lunge with a sword and swung around to knock the weapon aside.

"Wha's goin on?" Bryan heard Ray's groggy voice.

The sudden voice drew his opponent's attention for a split second. It was all the time Bryan needed. With alarming speed Bryan tackled the intruder and knocked the sword away. He placed the tip of his own sword to the exposed throat and fixed his piercing glare onto the wide arctic eyes staring up at him. With one hand holding the sword in place he reached out with the other one and pulled the headpiece away to see who his attacker was. Vibrant red hair and a startlingly familiar face were revealed. Bryan's breath caught in his throat and he stared stupidly at the man pinned below him.

"Tala…?" Bryan whispered. He could hardly believe it. For a moment he forgot that this man had been trying to kill him just moments ago as he felt joy for the first time in years. His long lost best friend wasn't so lost anymore. But the subzero glare he was still receiving brought his heart back to the reality that Tala was trying to kill him. "What's happened to you Tala?"

As he expected he received no answer. Bryan debated about what to do when a muffled shout from behind him caught his attention. In a swift move he slammed the hilt of his sword against Tala's temple and knocked the young man out. He then spun while simultaneously pulling one of his throwing knives from the inside of his cloak. The knife never left his hand. Instead he was faced with the second surprise of the night, though this one was not as welcome. He matched the fiery crimson glare with the same intensity and hate being generated by the other.

"Kai." Bryan snarled with a death threat laced in that simple word.

Bryan took in the situation. His once friend and now nemesis, Kai, had Ray captive. One well toned arm was wrapped under the neko-jin's armpit and around the chest to grip the opposite shoulder while Kai's other hand held a knife to Ray's throat. There was no immediate action Bryan could take that wouldn't get Ray killed. He knew Kai was every bit as skilled as he was having been Jata's other apprentice.

"I bet you're enjoying this Kai. Stabbing me in the back like this." Bryan said icily. He hoped to get his rival going to lose concentration.

"You can only stab friends in the back." Kai replied with calm venom.

_Oh that hurt. _They hadn't been friends since Jata's death-the death being the reason-but hearing Kai say it hurt more than Bryan wanted to admit. He didn't let on though, his icy composure never cracked.

"What do you want Kai?" Bryan asked. He knew the answer of course. Kai was after the same thing as Tala-the Eye of Drigger.

"I think you know what I want. Unfortunately for you I have it." Kai replied. The hand on Ray's shoulder moved to the neko-jin's neck and fingered the simple chain that was connected to the most sought after item in the country.

Bryan's eyes flickered to meet Ray's frightened gaze. The neko-jin was understandably terrified and that struck a cord of protectiveness deep inside. It wasn't a feeling he was used to but it didn't seem completely out of place.

"You don't have what you want yet. You still have to get away." Bryan said, hoping to spark Kai's arrogance.

"Oh? You won't risk the little cat's life will you?" Kai's tone was cold, but Bryan could hear the confidence in it. _Overconfidence Kai._

"Will you risk your own?" Bryan retorted. "You kill him and I'll kill you. You leave with him and I'll hunt you down and then kill you."

"You assume too much."

Bryan let a little smirk twitch his lips. "Do I?"

"You assume you have what it takes to kill me."

"If I remember correctly the last time we saw each other you were left pinned to a tree with one of my daggers." Bryan sneered. As an afterthought he added, "I want that dagger back by the way."

"Sold it for the little bit it was worth."

Bryan's temper flared briefly. "I loved that dagger."

"You put it through my shoulder." Kai replied with a shrug.

Ray was caught between them wondering what in the powers of Naraki he had gotten himself into. He tried to catch Bryan's eyes again, giving the merc the most desperate look he could. In return Bryan gave him a long meaningful look, but Ray didn't catch the message. The second look he was given was one of intense exasperation. As the two rivals continued to make biting remarks to one another Ray finally started to catch on. Bryan was distracting Kai so that Ray could make some kind of escape attempt.

Ray hesitated only briefly. He had some combat training and had been taught how to get out of the hold he was in. In theory anyway. Gathering courage from the confidence Bryan had in his ability to take advantage of the distraction, Ray acted. With cat like speed he elbowed Kai in the stomach, stomped on his foot, backhanded him in the nose, and then as a finisher brought his fist down with as much force as he could into Kai's groin. The merc released Ray and the neko-jin darted away while Bryan lunged forward. With strength augmented by anger, Bryan knocked Kai out with a single powerful blow to the temple.

"Help me pack up." Bryan ordered as soon as he was sure that both Tala and Kai were down for the count.

Silently and quickly Ray and Bryan packed up everything from the camp and for once Ray didn't object to riding the horse. They took off like a shot leaving the camp behind them in seconds. Before long Bryan felt the unmistakable pressure of a neko-jin sleeping against his back and smile just slightly. Maybe he could get used to having the cat around.

vvvv

Four hours later they broke out of the forest, but only Bryan was awake to see it. The wall around the city of Koya was simple, but effective. Town guards were stationed all along it and at the only gate into the city there were defenses against siege. It wasn't the biggest city or even the most spectacular, but it did have the reputation of being a rough-n-tumble place where peace minded people dared not tread. He was of course a welcome guest. The town guards recognized him easily and didn't even question about his sleeping charge. They usually just turned a blind eye to his activities.

Upon entering the city Bryan wasn't surprised to find it quiet and calm. A few lanterns burned along the streets, but few citizens were out and about. Bryan kept a close eye on those who were out, but everyone in the city knew who he was and not to mess with him. Koya was his safe haven where he could always go if there was trouble. The citizens owed him for finding a rare root that the city healer had needed to combat a plague that had threatened the entire population. They had all been saved because of him and for that reason anything and everything he needed was provided for free and the whole city watched his back. There was no place he felt safer.

Bryan went directly to the Roving Dragon Inn. The stable boy instantly recognized him and promised the best treatment for his horse. Bryan had no doubts about that and was not required to pay the boy, but he gave the kid a gold coin just the same. Waking Ray, Bryan had the neko-jin help him carry a few things as they headed inside. The building was warm and welcoming and the innkeeper grinned at the sight of his favorite guest.

"Welcome back Mr. Falcon."

"Got a room with two beds, Mr. Wilson?" Bryan asked, too tired for pleasantries.

Mr. Wilson was used to Bryan's gruffness by now and wasn't even fazed by it. "Sure thing." He turned to a cabinet that housed the keys to the rooms and grabbed a set. Turning back to Bryan he handed them over. "Make sure to get up in time for breakfast, Oliver will be disappointed if he doesn't get to cook for you."

Bryan didn't reply, simply took the key and led Ray away. They walked in complete silence up the stairs and down the hall to the room designated by the key. Ray was expecting a sparsely decorated room with two small beds and little else. He was therefore completely blown away when Bryan opened the door to reveal the most elaborate suite he had ever seen. There were two full sized beds, a separate bathing room, and a full closet. There was also a table and desk as well as a dresser. Bryan didn't even bat an eye at it as he began to disarm himself, laying each weapon on the table as he went. Ray watched him for a moment, still surprised by the amount of weaponry the merc carried, before shrugging it off and preparing himself for bed as well.

Within moments both tired travelers were stripped to their underclothes and in bed. Ray was asleep almost instantly, but Bryan couldn't sleep. His mind kept going over the two massive shocks he had received. Tala and Kai both in the same night? Kai was no real surprise, though Bryan did wonder how he found out that Ray had the Eye. However, Bryan hadn't seen Tala in three years when at the age of sixteen they had left the Ice Temple for Asiah and the Tournament of Champions. After they had both been knocked out of the competition they had left to return to the temple with their meager winnings, but they had been attacked. Bryan was left for dead and he never knew what happened to Tala.

_Tala. _He remembered wistfully how close they had been. It made his heart constrict as he thought of the hate filled look Tala had given him only hours ago. _What's happened to you old friend?_


End file.
